This invention relates to a system and method of burning fuel in the form of a combustable mixture which contains some tramp aluminum, for example, waste aluminum such as foil or cans. The fuel containing aluminum, for example, household refuse containing aluminum cans is supported on an upper part of a moving grate as it moves through the combustion area of a furnace. The moving grate returns from a downstream end to an upstream end through a lower part located below the combustion area.
In stokers with traveling grates, where trash and garbage are included in the fuel, aluminum cans and other waste aluminum are inevitably present in the fuel. The aluminum melts as the fuel is burned, drips through the grate and, if not intercepted, the falling aluminum will adhere itself to the backside of the returning grate. As the furnace continues to burn, aluminum will continue to build up on the backside of the returning grate as it passes under the combustion area. The aluminum build-up will continue until the grate mechanism jams. The jammed grate must then be scraped clean which requires time and effort and occasions the loss of the furnace output for a period of time.